French Grammar Problem And Trouble
ByIf you’re a French language learner, you may be having some trouble adjusting to the new grammar you have to use in the French language. Grammar like the French subjunctive, using indirect and direct objects in different places and different sentence structure is all part of what we, French learners, need to learn and get used to in order to speak French.
If you’re having trouble learning a particular French grammar point, you should look for alternative explanations of the grammar point online. There are many free sites out there that teach French and you can find many explanations as well as free sample sentences explaining the particular French grammar point you are interested in. Getting a different perspective can sometimes clear up your problem especially if you’ve only been using one resource to learn like a textbook.
Additionally, if you are having trouble applying a grammar point in French to your own speech or you keep messing up when you are supposed to use it, it’s probably because you haven’t fully conditioned your mind to it yet. What you should do is, get a few sample sentences from native sources that use the particular French grammar point you are having trouble with and then memorize them or at least repeatedly expose yourself to them. If you can remember these sentences or memorize them, you will begin to get used to that particular French structure and soon you will be able to make your own new sentences using the same correct structure.
French grammar is really not so difficult if you are able to get sample sentences and expose yourself to the new structure. The only hard part is the time it takes to effectively expose yourself to the new structure so that it seeps into your brain and becomes second nature to you. Once you are exposed to the new French structure enough, it will become second nature and you will be able to use it just as easily as you use English grammar without thinking about it.
If you are looking for French resources and especially sites to help you with French grammar, you may want to check out my top 5 free French resources online page which contains many helpful links for French language learners.
Also, if you are attempting to learn French to a high level of fluency, I highly recommend checking out my language learning book that will have you reaching fluency in the quickest amount of time possible.
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2 Comments
November 2nd, 2008 at 7:08 am
Hm, I’m not such a big fan of memorizing grammar. Why? I’ll make you less fluent in the long run, simple as that.
I do agree that you should get example sentences for things you struggle with, but add them to an SRS.
Just my two cents.
November 6th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Hm, I found that massive input first, and then reading *about* (i.e. not drilling the rules but rather reading explanations in the target language like you’d read a book) the rules works best.
For example in Spanish: I never drilled the whys of the indefinido, imperfecto, perfecto, subjuntive, etc., etc. Yet, I understand it, can use it correctly and can even explain the rules. How? I concentrated on the hows rather than the whys. Then I got a grammar book in Spanish and just read it.